Summer Vacation
by Reaching4thatplace
Summary: Our Fairy Tail friends have graduated high school and are off to enjoy a wild summer vacation before heading to college. Everyone apart from Lucy, that is. She's doomed to a lame summer gaining work experience, until a new friend offers her the trip of a life time. Join the gang on their vacation and see what mischief they get in to and what romances form. Did someone say Nalu? ;)
1. Half Way THere

In just a few days I would be graduating High School. My life, as I knew it, was coming to an end. My friends would be moving on, going to different colleges all over the globe, and I'd be leaving my home behind. But before all that happened, there was summer vacation to be had. While others would be losing their minds, and probably their virginity, on the sandy beaches of where ever they were going, I'd be working away at the local diner. Yep, my funds for college were running seriously low, which meant I had to sacrifice my summer vacation to make some extra money. I'd been working at the Diner for a year now, but I thought once High School was over this stupid job would be too. My father, however, had other plans. Sure he had the money to give me, but my father was very old fashioned. He believes that teens should pay their own way through college and refused to give me even a dime. "Back in my day" was one of my father's favourite sayings. Don't get me wrong though, it wasn't all bad working at the diner. Every Tuesday at around five PM a boy from my school would stop by. He'd sit in a booth, order a shake and watch me rushing around after the other customers. You'd think it'd be creepy, but he was too cute to be creepy. And by cute I mean blooming gorgeous. He had a mop of hair that seemed to defy gravity and an attitude that made me swoon from behind the counter as he'd loosen his school tie, swing his bag over his shoulder and saunter outside, always leaving a tip. Every time I'd go to clean his table I hoped that he'd left his number, but alas.

* * *

I rushed down the street and burst through the diner doors.

"I'm here!" I yelled breathlessly.

"You're fifteen minutes late, Lucy." Michelle, the manager, said as she refilled the jar of Razzle Dazzles.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." I hurried to the back, dumped my bag in my employee locker and pulled out my uniform. The uniform was one of my favourite parts of the job. It was pretty swanky with a puffy pink skirt and a lacy, white short sleeved shirt. . I shuffled in to my skirt, pulled my blouse over my head and headed out to the diner floor. "One of my teachers kept me back after class." I explained as I tied my apron into a bow behind my back.

"Hair." Michelle said.

"What?" I asked.

"Tie up your hair." Michelle said. Michelle was only one year older than me. Her parent's owned the diner and had promoted Michelle to manager once she graduated high school. It made sense, she'd been working there for years and was great at running the place.

"Oh right." I gathered my hair into a messy bun and secured it with a bright pink hair tie. We weren't allowed to wear our hair down at the diner, but hey at least I didn't have to wear a hair net.

"He's here already." Erza, another girl from my school, whispered in my ear and she glided past me with a tray balanced on her finger tips.

"He is?" I exclaimed, a little too loudly. I cleared my throat and tried to gather myself.

"Yep, look." Michelle nodded towards the doors. There he was. Hands buried deep in his pockets, bag casually slung over his shoulder.

"Okay, okay. Everyone be cool!" I hurried behind the counter and tried to look busy. The familiar twinkling of the bell above the doors rang through the air as he entered the diner. I had my back to him, but was watching him in the reflection of the mirror that lined the back wall. I waited for him to take his usual spot in the booth in the corner, but he didn't. Instead, he headed straight to the counter and hopped on to one of the stools. My heart began to thump. Oh god, Oh god I thought. Why hasn't he sat in his booth? I could feel his eyes on my back and could see his smirk in the mirror.

"Lucy." He said. My heart literally jumped out of my chest and ran away. I mean, how did he know my name? I slowly turned to face him, knowing that my cheeks were turning as pink as the Razzle Dazzles he was helping himself to.

"How, uh." I cleared my throat, trying to keep my composure. "How do you know my name?" I asked.

"It's embroidered on your uniform." He said, pointing to the swirly stitching on my breast pocket.

"Oh." I laughed. "So it is." I forgot we each had customised blouses.

He laughed and popped another Razzle Dazzle in his mouth. I caught a glimpse of Michelle, who was shooting daggers at the boy. "You'll have to pay for those!" I said suddenly, immediately regretting it. He looked a little taken a back, but quickly began to chuckle to himself.

"How about I just order something on the menu?" He asked, placing the lid back on the Razzle Dazzle jar.

"Uh, sure." I said.

"What would you recommend?" He asked. I grabbed a menu from under the counter, placed it in front of him and pointed to the sundae on the front. "A super-sized, sundae with extra everything." I said.

"Looks great. I'll have that." He grinned.

"Alrighty-roo." I cheered, wondering why I had just said something so stupid. I shook my head and began making his desert before I said anything else embarrassing.

I have to admit, his confidence was rather attractive and I couldn't believe I was actually talking to him. The boy that had been watching me, and that I had been watching in return, for months had finally made the first move. This was better than just leaving his number on a serviette, this was actual human contact. He was exactly how I thought he would be- Super cool. Did he think the same about me? Definitely not. Maybe he was simply tired of sitting at a booth and decided to try the bar for a change.

"We're in the same grade at school, right?" He asked.

"Yep." I said as I took a scoop of ice-cream from every tub we had and slopped it into the tall sundae glass.

"I remember you from the assembly you did on recycling." He said with a slight grin. Oh god, that was almost two years ago now. No wonder he remembered it, that assembly was a disaster. "You knocked over the projector and it smashed all over the floor." He laughed.

"And then I cried in front of the whole school." The memory came flooding back to me, making me cringe.

"That, you did." He nodded. He had his arms folded on the counter and was hunched over slightly, making his upper arm muscles grow tight against his school shirt. I couldn't help but admire the view.

"Please forget that." I moaned.

"Hey, it was good until you smashed the projector. I actually started recycling after that assembly." He said.

"You did?" I smiled. He nodded. I felt myself blush even more.

I finally finished pouring syrup over the mounds of ice-cream, fruit and sweets before placing it in front of him. It was a shoddy job. Even I could see that it was one of the worst presented Sundaes this diner had ever seen. To be honest, I was better at wiping tables than making the desserts. "One Super Sized Sundae with extra everything, especially Razzle Dazzle's." I said as I topped off the ice-cream with the sparkly pink candy.

"Looks great." He said.

"You don't have to say that." I laughed a little.

"What are you talking about?" He grabbed the spoon and dove in.

"Um, so-" I began, not really knowing what I was going to say. But Michelle interrupted me before I had a chance to finish. "Lucy, there are other customers." She said from across the diner.

"Um, right." I nodded and left the boy to his sundae. "I guess I better go."

"I'll see ya' later, Lucy." He said before devouring another scoop of ice-cream. He wasn't the most attractive eater I'd ever seen, that was for sure.

The diner was surprisingly busy and I resented every customer for pulling me away from the boy at the counter. But, of course I hid my irritation behind a well-rehearsed smile. I would watch him out the corner of my eye, dreading the moment he finished the last spoonful of ice-cream. Because that would mean it was time for him to leave. Although, there was something satisfying about watching him eat something I had made for him.

The rest of my shift flew by and I was disappointed when I saw that the boy had left without me even noticing. I slumped to the back and began to change back in to my school uniform, when Erza came in.

"Someone left this for you." She leant past me and placed a serviette in my locker.

"A serviette?" I asked dully as I buttoned up my shirt. "Is this Michelle's way of telling me I didn't clean up well enough?"

"Read it." Erza smiled before heading back out to the diner floor. I shrugged in to my school cardigan before picking up the napkin, turning it over in my hands. Someone had written, well more like scrawled, something on it.

 _Thanks for the Super Sundae_

 _the name's Natsu_

 _by the way_

My stomach began to fill with fluttery butterflies as I read the napkin over and over. Okay, so it wasn't a phone number. But, I had his name now and he had mine. It was a good start.

I left work with an unusual satisfaction. The sun was setting, the air was cool and I had a name. Not just any name, his name. I grabbed my phone from my pocket and opened my contacts.

"We're halfway there." I said as I typed his name in to the "New Contact" tab, leaving the number section blank since I didn't actually have that yet. "Half way where?" A familiar voice asked. I looked up to see Natsu stood in front of me, his hair gently blowing in the breeze. I immediately locked my phone screen and tucked it back in to my pocket. "Oh, uh. Half way home." I said quickly.

"Oh, cool. I'll walk with you." He said, turning and walking ahead. Walk with me? I don't know if I'm ready for that. But, he wasn't stopping, so I skipped a little to catch up with him. "I was just grabbing some more of those Razzle Dazzles from the store." Natsu said, holding up a carrier bag from the local super market. "Oh, yeah. They're good, right?" I said, and they were. They were like an explosion of sugar and raspberry and edible glitter. "Here," Natsu said, tossing me a packet. "Thanks." I said as I awkwardly caught it between my fingers. Natsu opened up a packet for himself and began chomping away, but I tucked mine in my school bag for later.

"So, you live nearby?" I asked.

"Yep. Maple Avenue." He said. "You?"

I didn't like to tell people where I lived, I felt like whenever I did people just immediately made assumptions about me. Sure, I lived in a big house on a fancy boulevard and sure, my dad had a gardener and chef but that didn't mean anything to me. If I was honest, I'd be happy in a small bungalow overlooking the sea.

"Madison Boulevard." I said quietly. Natsu raised his eyebrows and whistled. "Fancy." He said.

"I guess." I shrugged, immediately regretting telling him.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you working at that diner if you have enough money to live on Madison Boulevard?" He asked. It was kind of a rude thing to ask, but I could tell he wasn't the kind of person who would ever intend to be rude. I just sighed. "Sorry." He said. "I didn't mean to pry."

"No, it's fine." I said. "Basically, my dad is the one with all the money. Except he has all these principals and insists that I pay my own way through college." I explained, wondering why I was opening up to someone who was pretty much a stranger to me. Maybe it was his eyes. Yep, those deep brown eyes were hard to resist. "Wait a second," Natsu said. "Does that mean you're not going anywhere for summer break?"

"Uh-uh." I shook my head.

"But you have to do _something_." He encouraged.

"Well, I'll probably go to the beach a couple times. Plus my house has a pool so-"

"This will not stand!" Natsu exclaimed. I laughed at his sudden outburst.

"Well, what are your plans then?" I asked, wondering what kind of thing he'd be in to.

"A couple friends and I are packing up a camper van and going traveling. You know, just see where the road takes us." Natsu said, sliding his arm over my shoulder and painting the sky with his hand. A wave of disappoint washed over me and I suddenly wasn't so cool about my lame vacation plans anymore. "Wow that actually sounds pretty awesome." I sighed, staring up as if Natsu had actually painted an image in the sky. "Right?" Natsu beamed, taking his arm back and continuing our walk home. "Don't you see, Lucy? You can't waste this opportunity." He said. What opportunity? Was he going to invite me on his trip? I braced myself with a deep breath. "You need to come up with something to do on your vacation. Working at the Diner just won't cut it." He said. Of course he wasn't going to invite me on his trip. I knew that really, but a girl can hope. Even if it means inevitable disappointment. "Right, yeah. I'll think of something." I said.

We reached Natsu's house before mine, leaving me to dwell in my sudden misery. He was right, I couldn't waste my vacation slaving away after hungry tourists. I wanted to be with Natsu. Sat beside him in his camper van. I'd accidently give him the wrong directions and we'd laugh at how terrible I am at reading maps- it would be great. But, my farther would never go for it. It took everything in me to convince him to let me work at the diner, he wanted me to work at his office as his personal PA. But, I couldn't handle that.

"Ugh!" I groaned in frustration. A jogger on the other side of the road gave me a funny look, so I gave them an awkward wave in return. "That's it. I'm going home and I'm telling my dad I'm going away for the summer." I demanded to myself. Yet another person jogged passed me and gave me an odd look as I stood there talking to myself. Note to self: Don't talk to self in public and avoid joggers- their judgy.

* * *

I flopped down on my bed and let out a loud and over exaggerated sigh. My talk with my farther had gone just about as well as you can imagine. He wouldn't even hear me out. "You'll have plenty of time to travel when you're older." He'd said. Will I, dad? Will I? I grabbed my cell and rang my best friend, Levi.

"Hey, Lu." She cheered.

"I'm going to have the worst summer!" I cried.

"What are you talking about?" Levy asked, she was used to my dramatics by now.

"Okay, so you know that guy that always come in to the diner?" I began.

"Yep. The one in our year at school." Levy said.

"That's the one. Well, he actually spoke to me today." I said, feeling a little happier as I replayed the scene over and over in my head.

"He did?" Levy asked excitedly.

"Uh-huh. And he told me that he's travelling around in a camper van for the summer. Cool, right?"

"Not that cool." Levy said.

"It is. Trust me. Anyway, it's made me realise I can't waste my summer at the diner!" I said.

"Why don't you come with me to visit my cousin?" Levy asked.

"I'd love to, but my dad is determined that I spend the summer working and earning."

"Look, summer vacation is two days away, we have a little time to convince him." Levy said.

"Yeah, right." I laughed. Levy knew how stubborn my dad was.

* * *

So, two days passed and we were graduating high school. We were saying goodbye to a huge part of our lives in preparation for the next big journey. The day was spent crying, taking group pictures and, of course, signing each other's shirts and yearbooks. It was hard to believe my years as a school student were coming to an end. No more uniform, no more gym class, no more faking an injury to get out of gym class. But what I'd miss the most was the people. Spending every day together because, honestly, we had no other choice. Despite what we wrote in each other's year books claiming we'd be friends forever, most of us knew we'd probably never speak again. I tried not to think about it too much, I'd never stop crying otherwise. Hey, I'm very sentimental when it comes to things like this.

"Hey, Lu. It's time to head in for the final assembly." Levy called as I finished up drawing a heart on some guy's back. "There ya' go." I said, standing back to admire my handy work.

"Cool, thanks." The guy said. "Want me to sign yours?" He asked.

"Oh, no. Thanks." I said. There was one space left on my shirt and it was reserved for someone special. Not some guy, who I was sure was the school's drug dealer.

* * *

After a very emotional day at school, I had to head to the diner. I walked through the doors, completely ignored Michelle, who was putting money in the till, and headed out back to get changed. I was happy to see Erza was already there. She was straightening her ponytail when I walked right up to her and gave her a hug.

"Lucy?" She asked, lowering her arms to hug me back. "Everything okay?"

"No, aren't you sad?" I asked in to her bosom.

"Sure, but we still have college to look forward to. Not to mention summer vacation." She said.

"Ugh." I let her go and began changing in to my own work uniform, realising that this was the last time I'd be switching from my school uniform to my work uniform. I sucked back my tears and continued to change. "You're coming to my party tonight, right?" Erza asked me. I gasped.

"I completely forgot about your party!" I exclaimed.

"Thanks." Erza said with a dry expression.

"No, no. Sorry. I didn't mean it like that." I said suddenly. "Yes, I'd like to come please." I added quietly. Erza face lightened in to a smile. "Good." She said before strutting off on to the diner floor.

Once I was done changing I headed out myself.

"Ahem." Michelle coughed, raising her eyebrows at me.

"I know, I know. My hair." I said impatiently as I tied my hair in to a pony. Not long in to my shift, Natsu showed up. I hadn't seen him since our walk home two nights ago, so I felt a little nervous to speak to him again. Every fibre of his shirt was covered in people's signatures and little notes and scribbles. Having your shirt signed really was a show and tell of how popular you were, and damn was he popular. He sat on the same stool as before and shot me a dashing smile. I looked over at Erza who was winking at me and encouraging me to go over to him, so I did. As I approached him I noticed that there were a lot of girl's names on his shirt, which made me a little jealous. I wanted to see my name on there. "That's a lot of signatures." I said, resting my elbows on the counter. "Yeah, but it's missing one." Natsu said with a smirk.

"Is it?" I asked.

"Yep." Natsu held out a pink felt tip and slid it across the counter towards me. The butterflies were back, fluttering around my stomach like they'd just learnt to fly. I took the felt tip and popped it open. "Where should I sign?" I asked excitedly.

"Right here." He said as he leant over the till and pointed to his collar.

"Okay." I smiled as I wrote my name in swirly handwriting across his collar. I pondered on whether to put a kiss or not, but in the end I drew a heart out of habit. "Thanks." He smiled as I handed back his felt tip. "Um, could you sign mine?" I asked.

"Are you kidding me? Of course." He said. I knew Michelle wouldn't like it, but I quickly hurried out back and grabbed my school shirt. "Here." I said as I placed my shirt on the counter.

"How about… right… here?" Natsu asked as he wrote his name across the left chest. I suddenly wished I was wearing it as I watched him slowly write his name. I could tell he was taking care to make his handwriting neater than it normally was. He drew sparks around his name before sliding my shirt back to me. "Thanks." I said as I took the shirt back, knowing I'd treasure it for a long time. "I better go put this out back." I said.

"Yeah, boss lady doesn't look happy." Natsu grinned. He was right, Michelle looked pissed. In fact, when I returned from my locker Michelle seemed to be having stern words with Natsu. "Are you going to buy anything?" She asked.

"Not today, I just came by because I needed something from Lucy." He smiled in my direction. Did he just say needed? He _needed_ me to sign his shirt. I felt myself blush and tried to hide my smile. "Well, Lucy has work to do." Michelle said.

"Right. I'll get out your hair." He said, standing from his stool.

"Wait," I said suddenly, worried that this would be the last time I'd see him.

"I'll see you later, Lucy." He gave me a salute as he grabbed his school bag and left the diner. Once again, another thing had ended. I would never again enjoy his presence in the diner. The whole place felt empty as the door shut behind him. I stood there for a moment, staring at the doors. "Lucy, come on. There's jobs to be done." Michelle nagged. The realisation set in, this would be my whole summer. Michelle nagging me as I watched people come and go. I suddenly felt very sick.

* * *

Levy had come round my house that night to get ready for the party together. Plus Erza also lived on Madison Boulevard, so it just made sense to get ready at mine. "What are _you_ wearing?" I asked as I flopped on my bed in my dressing gown. It was the final farewell. Erza had invited almost everyone from our year, which meant that this party would be the last memory most of us had of each other and it had to be a good one. "I was thinking of wearing this orange sundress." Levy pulled out a floaty dress that cameto just above her knees. It was her style to a T. "That's perfect." I said.

"What about you?" Levy asked.

"I have no idea." I said. Honestly, I'd been dreading this moment. The moment that I had to open my wardrobe and commit to an outfit for the biggest party of the year. "Let me have a look." Levy said as she slid open my wardrobe doors. She held out a pair of denim shorts. "No." I shook my head. Next she held out a floral skirt. "Next." I said.

"Okay… How about this?" Levy reached right to the back and pulled out a dress I'd never seen before. It was a black and white striped skater dress with spaghetti straps and a sweetheart neckline. "Whoa, that's nice." I said, sitting up suddenly.

"Isn't It yours?" Levy asked.

"Well, I mean, it must be. But I don't remember it." I said as I admired the dress.

"Put it on." Levy encouraged. So I did and I loved it. It was perfect for the occasion. I matched it with a pair of plain white pumps, black bangles around my wrist and a white Alice band in my hair. For once, I was feeling genuinely good about myself. I was ready for the night, and ready to see Natsu.

"You ready to go?" I asked Levy after on last mirror check. "Yep." She nodded. We headed downstairs where my father was cooking his dinner in the kitchen. "We're going now, dad." I said. He looked up from the stove and smiled. "I see you found the dress I bought you." He said.

"You bought this for me?" I asked, surprised.

"I did, do you like it?" He asked.

"I love it, thank you." I smiled.

"See, I'm not all bad." He said.

"I know, dad." I smiled as I pulled him in for a hug.

"Have fun tonight." He said.

"I will."

As soon as we left my house you could hear the music from Erza's party. It was a warm evening and the smell of alcohol was in the air. As we approached Erza's house, there were people chilling on her front lawn, smoking and drinking from the traditional red cup. Her front doors were already open and there was a steady flow of people entering and leaving the house. The party had only just begun and there was already a serious amount of make out sessions occurring on the front steps of her porch. I'm pretty sure I could hear rustling and moaning coming from the bushes too. "Ready?" Levy asked as we walked up the porch steps. "Ready." I nodded. We entered the party. Great music was blaring throughout the house, the lights were dimmed and there was smoke hanging in the air. People were singing and yelling all around us. I grabbed Levy's hand and the two of us headed towards the kitchen, where Erza was pulling a pizza out of the oven. "Hey." I said as we approached.

"You made it." She smiled, removing her oven mit. "Pizza's ready!" She yelled in to the rest of the house and a wave of people rushed in to grab a slice. "There's drinks in the fridge or in the coolers outside." Erza called above the crowd.

"Got it." I yelled as I opened the fridge and grabbed Levy and I a beer each. This may not have been my first party, but it was my first time drinking. So, when I cracked opened that cold beer and took my first sip I was disgusted. "So this is what beer tastes like." I said.

"Bad, right?" Levy said as her facial expression matched mine. But we continued to drink it anyway. It seemed to taste better the more you drank.

Two hours, four beers and one hot dog later Levy and I were having the best time. We had been dancing for a while now and I was beginning to feel the effects of the beers I'd been drinking. So, I yelled in Levy's ear that I was heading outside to get some fresh air. "Okay!" She yelled back. "I'm gonna' stay here."

I had almost made it to the front porch when I was approached by a tall guy with curly brown hair. "Hey, wanna' partake in a shots off." He asked with a grin.

"Sure." I shrugged, not actually knowing what a shots off was.

"Great, come on." He said, grabbing my hand. This boy, who I didn't even know, guided me through the house and through in to Erza's game room. "We've got our final girl." The boy announced as he walked me in to the room and held my hand in the air. I finished off my fifth beer and drunkenly thrust it in to the chest of the boy holding my hand. "Lucy?" A familiar voice asked. I looked up to find Natsu stood in front of me. "Oh, hey. I didn't see you there." I said. The world around me was a blur and my eyes refused to focus on Natsu, so I simply stared in his general direction. "How much have you had to drink?" Natsu asked with a grin.

"Not that much." I said, swaying back and forth. "I'm gonna' partake in a shots off." I said and everyone around me cheered.

"Okay, she'll be on my team." Natsu said, taking my hand from the tall boy.

"Really?" I smiled.

"Yep." Natsu walked me over to a ping pong table that was now covered in shot glasses and bottles of alcohol. Erza was playing too, although I didn't recognise her partner. A boy from my class, Loke, approached the table. "Okay, round one. Vodka." He said picking up a bottle and pouring four shots. I stumbled a little and grabbed Natsu's T-shirt to steady myself. "Are you sure you should be playing this?" He asked me.

"We're gonna' win." I winked, picking up my shot glass and knocking it back without a second thought. Everyone in the room cheered as if I had done something impressive, which made me feel like I had. The other three downed their shots too, moving us on to the next round.

After four rounds and six shots, I couldn't take anymore. My legs had turned to jelly, the floor had turned to jelly and my eyes were all over the place. Natsu had his hands on my shoulders, which I'm pretty sure was the only thing keeping my from tumbling over. Loke announced the fifth round, Tequila. "Tequila." I repeated with a hiccup.

"We forfeit." Natsu announced suddenly.

"What?" I looked up at him but his face was serious.

"You know what the forfeit is." Loke said. "Shot, shot, shot!" He began to chant. Wait, so the penalty for losing a shots off is to take a shot?

"Dude, no." Natsu said.

"I still wanna' play." I said, reaching for my shot glass.

"No, you don't." Natsu grabbed my hand before it got to the shot and pulled me out of the room. I could see the doors to the back garden were ahead and could already feel the breeze on my face. Maybe Natsu was right to pull me out of the shots off, but he was walking way too fast for me. As we neared the doors I tripped over my own feet and fell forwards. Natsu, with ninja like reflexes, immediately turned around and caught my shoulders, keeping my face from smashing in to the hardwood floors. "I'm sorry." He said with a genuinely apologetic look on his face. He knew he had be pulling me too hard. "I'm gonna' be sick." I said suddenly. The words came out of my mouth before I even knew it was true. But, sure enough, I could soon feel my body rejecting the alcohol I had been filling it with all night. "Okay, come on." Natsu said, pulling me to my feet. "No, don't come with me." I said, waving him away and rushing outside, almost tumbling down the steps as I went.

After emptying my stomach behind the bushes in Erza's garden, I stumbled back towards the party to find Natsu sat on the steps. He had his hoody in his hands which he immediately got up and wrapped me in as soon as he saw me emerge up the garden. "How ya' feeling?" He asked, wiping the corners of my mouth with a napkin he'd pulled from his pocket. "Like a loser." I said. I liked Natsu, but after tonight I could probably never speak to him again. I mean, wiping vomit from the corners of a girl's mouth isn't exactly the most appealing thing, is it?

"Because we lost the shots off?" He asked.

"No. Because I just am one." I shrugged.

"You're not a loser." Natsu said, tucking my hair behind my ear. "Come on, sit down." We sat on the steps and he handed me a glass of water to drink, which I was grateful for. He rubbed my back in circles as I rested my head on his shoulder. "We should get you home." He said.

"What time is it?" I asked. Natsu checked his watch.

"Twelve Thirty." He said.

"Too early." I shook my head.

"Well, what then? You can barely stand, so dancing is out of the question." Natsu said. Then I noticed a giant trampoline in the corner of the garden. "Trampoline." I said, pointing over to it.

"No way, you'll just be sick again." He said.

"No, not jump on it. Just lay on it, looking at the stars." I smiled to myself.

"Okay, then." Natsu said. To my surprise he scooped me up bridal style and carried me across the grass. He laid me on the trampoline, scooted me in to the middle and then climbed on himself. We were laid arm to arm. You could barely hear the music from our corner of the garden, just the sound of our breathing. I stretched out my pink finger and felt his hand next to mine. Embarrassed, I immediately moved my hand away, but he grabbed it back and held it. It shocked me a little, but I didn't attempt to move in case he decided to let it go again. We quietly stared up at the stars and the party raged on inside the house, but I knew exactly where I'd rather be.

* * *

 _ **AN:**_

 **Hope you enjoyed this first chapter :) Please leave a review (unless your name is Juviana.) I was really in the mood for writing a summer romance story so here it is, plus I had a lot of people asking for a Nalu fic which is definitely what this is going to be :D**


	2. Finally Free

I opened my eyes and found myself staring up at an orange sky. The sun was just beginning to rise over the houses but the air was already thick and humid. It suddenly hit me that I was laid outside, still in Erza's garden. I turned my head a little and sucked in in my breath as I laid my eyes upon a sleeping Natsu next to me. His arms were folded behind his head and he was smiling slightly. We had dozed off together on the trampoline as the party died down around us. Last night was a blur, but if I remembered one thing it was Natsu carrying me across the garden. I blushed a little and tried to breathe the embarrassment away. Sitting up, I felt Natsu's hoody slip off of my shoulders- I immediately missed it. "You're awake then." Natsu said as I pulled his hoody back around myself. I looked down at him. He was looking up at me with just one eye open. Damn, I thought I had been the first one of us to wake up. "Oh, yeah." I said, surprised at how croaky my voice sounded. "How ya' feeling?" He asked. I thought about it for a second.

"Not good actually." My head was groggy and I could taste the remains of last night's vomit sitting in the back of my throat. I was thankful for the hair tie I had around my wrist and tied my hair in to a bun. It felt good to have the air hit my neck. "That'll be the hangover." Natsu said, now with both eyes open.

"Oh, god." I pulled my knees up to my chest and buried my face in them. Images of Natsu pulling me back to my feet and wiping sick from my mouth came flooding back to me. "I was a mess last night."

"It's okay." Natsu laughed. "We all have those nights. It probably won't be the last time."

"It will be." I said, never wanting to feel like this again.

"Sure, that's what they all say." Natsu said, mocking me a little. I shot him a look and he laughed. "Breakfast?" He asked.

"It'd be kind of rude if we helped ourselves to Erza's food." I said.

"Not here. I know a place that does great pancakes." Natsu said. He was inviting me out to breakfast. This was a major breakthrough people! I tried to stay calm as I gave him my answer."Sure." I nodded, not even looking at him.

"Great. Let's go." He hopped off the trampoline and offered me his hand as I climbed down myself. Walking through Erza's house was like walking through a crime scene. There were people passed out everywhere and, by the looks of it, I wasn't the only one who would be suffering the effects of a hangover today. There were empty bottles all over the floor, I accidentally kicked one as we crept through the house, and there wasn't a single piece of furniture that was in its correct place. "I feel bad," I whispered "should we help clean up?"

"She has cleaners." Said Natsu.

"Oh, right." I had forgotten that most, if not all, people that lived on Madison Boulevard had cleaning staff. We made it out to the front of the house. There were cigarette buds all over the front porch and I noticed a pair of pink thrilly panties hanging from the bushes. "I knew it." I said.

"What?" Natsu asked.

"Oh, um. Nothing." I blushed.

After a short walk beneath the sunset we ended up at a small corner café that already had people sat outside with their morning coffees. "What time is it?" I asked. Natsu took a look at his watch. "It's six thirty." He said.

"And this place is already open?" I asked.

"It's opens at six every morning." Natsu said as he held the door open for me. There was just one waitress, I guess that's all they needed at six AM, and she gave us a giant smile as we entered the place. It was cosy with brown wood floors and deep green walls. There were pictures of nature all over the walls and acoustic music playing in the background. Natsu led us to a table right in the front window. He pulled out my chair for me, which I wasn't expecting, and then sat across from me. "This place is so nice." I said, admiring the single white rose that sat in a vase in the centre of our table.

"I'm glad you like it." Natsu smiled. Then the waitress joined us.

"Are we getting the usual today?" She asked with an upbeat tone.

"Times two, please." Natsu grinned and the waitress nodded, hurrying away to give our order to the chef through a small window behind the till. Then it hit me, Natsu had just ordered for me. "The usual?" I asked. "You come here a lot?" I wondered, did he come here more than he came to the diner? Did he flirt with this waitress too? I mean she was around our age and was definitely prettier than me. I tried to push those thoughts away and smile, but they weren't going anywhere.

"I used to come here a lot." He said.

"Not any more though?" I asked.

"Well, I found this other place that does really great milkshakes." He said.

"I see." I nodded with a smile.

"Plus, there's this waitress there that I-"He started but was interrupted by the waitress bringing our drinks over.

"Two Mochas." She smiled, setting two steaming mugs down on the table. I tried to hide my frustration. What was he going to say? A waitress that he liked? That he hated? The moment had passed and it would just be weird if I asked him about it now. So, I just tried to forget it and turned my attention to the Mochas. I wasn't a coffee girl myself, so I had no idea what he had ordered for me. "Um, Mocha?" I asked, picking up my mug and admiring the pattern that had been swirled in to the cream. "It's like a chocolate coffee." Natsu said, taking a long sip of his.

"Oh." I nodded. I took a sip. It was good. Like, really good. " _Mmmm_." I hummed in approval.

"Good, right." Natsu grinned, licking some foam from his top lip. A young girl and her farther entered the café then. At first I simply smiled at their playful relationship as the dad lifted his daughter in the air. But then it simply reminded me of my own farther. My stomach dropped and I suddenly felt sick. "Oh no." I said, swallowing hard.

"What?" Natsu asked. "It's okay if you don't like the Mocha."

"No, it's not that," I said "it's my dad." Natsu raised his eyebrows at me and leant in closer.

"Is he here?" Natsu whispered.

"What." I laughed a little. "No, I mean my dad is going to kill me when I get home."

"Why's that?" Asked Natsu.

"He gave me a curfew of one AM and here I am at, um-"

"Six fifty-nine." Natsu said.

"Right, here I am at six fifty-nine and I haven't even let him know where I am." I reached in to my pocket to grab my phone, then I realised my dress didn't even have pockets and I didn't have my phone. "And now I've lost my phone." I said.

"Oh, no. I have it here." Natsu smiled and pulled my phone out from his jean pocket.

"Oh, thank you." I said taking it from him.

"You fell asleep with it on your chest last night so I grabbed it in case you lost it." He explained. I blushed a little and smiled at him. I braced myself for my father's angry texts and voicemails, but was pleasantly surprised to find my phone had ran out of charge. His rage would just have to wait until I got home. The waitress was back with us then but this time she had two plates of stacked pancakes. They smelt, and looked, delicious. "Wow." I said as the waitress placed my meal in front of me.

"Enjoy." She smiled before hurrying off back to the till.

"So your dad's strict then?" Natsu asked as I took a bite of my pancakes.

"Yeah, super strict." I said through a mouthful of food. Anyone else probably would have been disgusted at my habit of speaking with a mouthful of food, but Natsu laughed and filled his mouth with food too. "That sucks." He muffled through his mouthful of pancakes. I was the one to laugh this time.

After finishing up our pancakes and Mochas, I went to bathroom before we paid the bill. I headed inside a cubicle, did my business and then moved to the sink to wash my hands. I looked up in to the mirror on the wall and jumped back a little. "Oh. My. God." I breathed. Staring back at me was a dishevelled girl with black make-up under her eyes, knotted hair and sick stains down her dress. I grabbed some tissue from the cubicle, ran it under the tap and began wiping away at the smears under my eyes. Not only was I horrified that I'd been sat across from Natsu looking like this, but I also knew that if I went home looking like this my father would murder me on the spot. The black under my eyes began to lift away but unfortunately there was nothing I could do about the sick stains. I took out my hair and tied it in to a tighter, neater bun before zipping Natsu's hoody all the way up to cover the stains on my dress. I hadn't cared before, but as I walked back out in to the cafe I was suddenly extremely aware of just how hungover I looked. I felt conscious of myself as I headed over to the till. I saw Natsu through the window and guessed he had already paid his half of the bill. "How was everything?" The cheery waitress smiled at me.

"It was really great," I said "how much will it be?" As I asked this, I realised I didn't actually have any money on me. My heart beat quickened as I began to panic a little. I couldn't dine and dash, could I?

"It's all taken care of." She said.

"Wait, what?" I asked, confused but a little relieved.

"You're all good. It's been paid for." She shot me a smile and raised her shoulders as if to "You can go now" so I just thanked her and headed outside. Natsu turned to me and smiled. "Alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, um, did you pay?" I asked.

"Mm-hmm. Come on, I'll walk you home." He said, barely even acknowledging my question. He began turned and began to walk and I hurried to his side. "How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing, Lucy. It's on me." He said. There was something inside me that loved hearing him say my name. "If you're sure?"

"I'm sure." He smiled, digging his hands deep in his pockets like he normally did. Even though we had both been drinking and we had both been out all night, he looked just as good as he had the night before. Sure, his hair was messy, but that just suited him.

We were soon walking back up Madison Boulevard and I felt a strong sense of dread beginning to build inside me. I hadn't done anything like this before and I had no idea how my farther would react. Not only that, but today was the day Natsu was leaving for his big trip. After saying goodbye today, I probably wouldn't see him for a very, very long time. I slowed my pace considerably as we approached my house. "You okay?" Natsu asked.

"I'm fine, I just…" I wondered whether to open up to him about how sad I was to be left behind by everyone as they jetted off for a fun filled summer.

"You just?" Natsu prompted.

"I'm a little sad, that's all." I shrugged.

"About?" Natsu asked giving me a sympathetic look.

"School ending, everyone leaving to have a great summer, never seeing you again." I surprised myself. That last one just slipped out. My face began to burn and I stared at Natsu wide eyed, wondering what his response would be. "I see," He nodded "no wonder you're a little sad."

"Yeah." I said, still in shock at unwillingly admitting that I'd miss him.

"Here," Natsu handed me his phone, "put you're number in."

"O-okay." I stuttered, taking his phone from him. It was a good job I knew my number off by heart. I typed in the digits and handed his phone back to him. "Expect a call from me tonight, okay." Natsu said as he tucked his phone in to his back pocket. "Won't you be on your trip?" I asked. Natsu simply winked at me before turning around and beginning his own walk home. "Wait, I still have your hoody." I yelled.

"Keep it. You'll need it." He called over his shoulder. So he knew I had zipped it up to hide the stains down my dress. I stood in my driveway for a few moments, playing what had just happened over and over in my head. He asked for my number. My number! I slapped my hands to my cheeks and squealed with excitement. Not only did he want my number, but he was going to call me tonight. I suddenly couldn't wait to get inside so I could put my phone on charge. I creeped up the driveway and pulled up the matt on the porch where I always hid my key. Except this time it wasn't there. I instantly knew my farther had taken my key so I'd be unable to sneak in undetected. I slammed my head against the door before reluctantly knocking on it. I heard my father's heavy footsteps approach from the other side. Then the door opened and I stumbled inside, my fathering moving aside so I didn't step on his toes. "You finally decided to come home then." He said, slamming the door shut. I slowly turned around and sighed heavily. He was stood with his arms folded across his chest and an unreadable look on his face. "I'm so sorry, dad," I began, "I decided to stay the night at Erza's but my phone ran out of charge." I thought about showing him the evidence but was worried he would confiscate it and I couldn't let that happen, not when I was expecting a phone call from Natsu. "If you can't let me know where you're going, you don't go." He said.

"I wasn't _going_ anywhere, dad. I spent the night at Erza's. You knew where I was." I said, feeling as though I was making a good point.

"No, Lucy. I was expecting you home at one AM. As far as I'm concerned, if you're not home by curfew I don't know _where_ you are." He said, his tone getting a little sharper now.

"That's not fair." I said under my breath. Maybe it was the hangover or maybe it was the years I'd spent stuck under my father's thumb,but either way my temper was a lot shorter than it normally was.

"What?" He asked.

"I said, that's not fair." I raised my voice, which was a huge mistake. No one raised their voice to my father. He took a deep breath and I could read on his face that he was considering his next move.

"I'm disappointed in you, Lucy." He said calmly. There it was, the disappointment card. My farther often liked to play this card with me. "You have broken my trust."

"What." I said.

"I trusted that you would come home safe and sound at one AM and yet you return to me almost eight hours later looking like a-" He paused and I wondered what he was about to call me. "Looking like a dirty harlot." He finished. I gasped. No one had ever said something so rude to me and yet he stood strong in his words, not even attempting to take them back. "Are you serious?" I asked. "How can you say that to me?"

"Look at you, Lucy. I'm not wrong." He said. And he never was. It was always me that crumbled first. It was always me falling at my father's feet and begging for his forgiveness. "Don't talk to me." I hissed as I turned on my heels and headed up the stairs. "What did you just say to me?" He asked, following close behind me.

"Leave me alone!" I was yelling now, storming across the landing and trying to make my footsteps as heavy and as loud as I could. "You do not talk to your father like that." He demanded.

"What about the way you speak to me?" I asked. "You just called your own daughter a dirty prostitute!"

"I said Harlot." My father corrected me.

"Oh my god." I laughed at how he had missed, or chosen to miss, the point completely. I had reached my room and attempted to slam the door, but my father caught it with his foot and swung it back open. The look on his face told me that I had gone too far and I backed away a little. "That's it." My father said taking a deep breath. "You are grounded."

"What?" I asked, feeling as though I was far too old to be grounded. "For how long?"

"The entirety of the summer." He said.

"Are you kidding me?" I asked, voice raised, arms flailing in the air.

"You wish I was," He said, "You will go to work each day, then I will send for you to be picked up, you will be returned here and you will spend the rest of the day at the house." As my father laid out my summer for me I couldn't help but begin to cry. Things had just gone from "Bad" to "Are You Fucking Serious?" How could he be so harsh, even with me crying in front of him? "If we can get through the summer without you disobeying me, maybe I'll begin to trust you again." He said before slamming my door shut for me. I collapsed on to my bed and began sobbing in to my pillow. I couldn't get my head around what had just happened. My father had a way of destroying people without even raising his voice. And sure enough, I felt pretty damn destroyed.

After a long bath, I headed back in to my room to check on the status of my phone. As I turned on the screen, I was disappointed to see it was blank. I wished I had Natsu's number so I could ring him. He was probably already on the road by now. I changed in to my PJ's and sat on my bedroom floor. After a while, I got in to bed and decided I would sleep the rest of the day away.

* * *

I was dreaming about puppies when I was suddenly woken up by my phone buzzing on my side table. I immediately threw my covers back and dove for my phone. The screen read:

 _ **Incoming call:**_

 _ **Unknown Number**_

I hugged the phone to my chest before answering it. "Hello." I said excitedly.

"Hey, how goes it?" Natsu's voice rang through my ear.

"Terrible, you?" I asked. I heard him laugh, but I could also hear the engine of his camper van and it made me sad.

"I'm good. I'm also outside." He said.

"But I can hear the engine." I said.

"No, Lucy. I'm outside your house." He said. My heart stopped. I ran out to the landing and looked out the window. Yep, there was a light blue camper van parked a little down the road. "What are you doing here?" I asked quietly, not knowing the where-abouts of my father.

"I'm here to pick you up." He said and I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Pick me up?" I asked.

"I couldn't hit the road knowing you'd be sat at home all sad." He said.

"So?" I asked, needing him to fully explain himself before I jumped to any conclusions.

"So, I need you to pack a bag and get down here already." He said.

"You want me to come with you?" I ran back in to my room, tucked the phone between my ear and my shoulder and began rummaging through my things to find my duffle bag.

"Of course I do. Now get your butt down here." Natsu hung up the phone then. I grabbed a pillow from my bed and began screaming in to it. I had just been expecting a quick chit chat, not an invitation to run away with him. This was crazy but I was too excited to think reasonably. I would never usually even consider running away, but my father had pushed me too far. He had said the rudest things to me and was going to treat me like a prisoner all summer. It was time for me to escape and Natsu was my knight in a shining camper van.

I packed a few pairs of shorts and jeans; some tank tops and jackets; a few pairs of shoes; underwear (fancy and non-fancy); my phone charger and my emergency stash of money which was around eight-hundred bucks. I also packed some basic toiletries like my toothbrush and a can of deodorant. Anything else I figured I could just buy later. I changed out of my PJ's and instead put on a pair of pink flowery Capri pants, a white tank top and Natsu's hoody. My hair was still wet but I didn't care. I headed for my bedroom door and took a deep breath. "This is it, Lucy." I said to myself. I pulled on my door and peered in to the landing. There was no sign of my father. I snook down the landing and slowly made my way down the stairs. I was holding my breath every step of the way, terrified that my father would catch me. The front door was in sight, I was almost there. I was almost free. I quickened my pace a little when I heard someone in the kitchen. My hand was on the door when someone called my name. "Lucy. Where are you going?" I turned around to find Gwendolyn, my father's assistant, stood behind me.

I sighed. So close. "Oh, um. I was just going to see a friend." I said, feeling myself wanting to scream with frustration.

"You're lying." She said, taking a step closer.

"I just need a break from… all this." I said. Gwendolyn nodded. She was in her late twenties and was actually a really nice person. She was around the house a lot so she and I had gradually built a friendship. I often went to her for advice or to rant about my father. "Listen," she said "I heard how your father spoke to you earlier. He was out of line." Gwendolyn said.

"He was." I agreed.

"If you need a break, I understand that." She said.

"You do?" I asked.

"I do. So if there's someone out there waiting for you, you should go." She said, leaning forward and opening the front door for me. "Are you serious?" I asked.

"I am. Now, you better go and have the best summer of your life because I'm not getting fired for nothing, got it?" Gwendolyn smiled.

"Thank you, Gwen! You're the best." I threw my arms around her and held her tight.

"I know. Now go, go!" She waved me off as I ran out the house. The cold air hit my face and lifted my hair as I ran. I was finally free. I had the whole summer ahead of me and it was looking bright at last. There was the camper van and there was Natsu, leant against it. "You ready to go?" He asked as I approached. "So ready." I smiled once I finally reached him. "Then let's hit it." Natsu grinned.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Thank you for reading the second chapter, I hope you enjoyed it :) I'd love to hear you're thoughts so please feel free to leave a review :)**


	3. Maties Motel

Natsu and I climbed inside the camper van, him in the driver's seat and me beside him in the passenger's seat. I turned to put my duffle in the back when I was surprised to see two people already sitting there on the basic campervan sofas. It was Erza and Gray, a boy from my English class.

"Hey." I said, trying not to sound too surprised. I mean, I had no idea Erza and Natsu knew each other like this. Each time he came in to the diner she made no moves to talk to him, she'd just encourage me to. I suddenly felt a little embarrassed at how much I pined after him in front of her, not even knowing that he was obviously a good friend of hers. "Glad you could join us." Erza smiled.

"Well, now that we have our final passenger, it's time to officially hit the road." Natsu said.

"Where are we heading?" I asked.

"To get some grub." Gray said, leaning forwards so he was in-between mine and Natsu's seats.

"Have you eaten yet?" Natsu asked me. I shook my head. "Good, Mc Murphy's here we come."

Being inside the camper van I felt totally at ease. The windows were down, music was blasting and I was sat next to Natsu as he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel in time to the music. Erza and Gray were in the back, playing on their phones, and I was casually sat with my knees hugged to my chest and my head leaning out the window. The further away we drove from my home, the further away my worries felt. I was keeping my phone turned off, just to avoid any calls from my father. After around fourty minutes we were pulling in to the busy parking lot of Mc Murphy's. Natsu killed the engine and turned to face Erza and Gray in the back. "What's everybody having?" He asked. "Ham Burger and wedges, please." Erza said, handing Natsu some money.

"Chicken nuggets and fries." Gray also handed Natsu a handful of change.

"Drinks?" Natsu asked.

"Coke." They both said in unison.

"Got it. Can you help me carry it all?" Natsu asked, turning to me.

"Sure." I smiled and hopped out of the camper van. I hurried to Natsu's side and we walked inside the buzzing fast food place. I always loved places like this because they were full of all kinds of people. Have you ever read The Jungle Book? Well, in it there is a particular river where every animal is welcome to drink without fear. They call it The Water Truce. Every animal, from vicious lions to gentle antelope drink side by side. Well, that's what Mc Murphy's is like in my eyes. You could find almost any kind of person in here and you wouldn't bat an eye lid. You would simply sit at the table next to them and eat your meal in peace. And tonight was no exception. There were groups of young teens, elderly couples and middle aged couples grabbing a quick bite. Of course, you had your hooded hooligans too. Natsu and I joined the back of the Queue, which was moving pretty quickly. "I'm surprised you came." Natsu said out of the blue.

"You invited me." I said, a little confused. Did he not want me here? Was him asking me to come just one of those empty offers like when you offer someone some of your food but you secretly hope the say no?

"I know and I'm glad you're here." He smiled. "Just, when I rang you I kind of expected you to say no."

"Well, it was either come with you or spend the summer as a prisoner in my own house." I shrugged, trying to keep a casual tone.

"Things didn't go well with you dad, huh?" Natsu asked.

"Well, he called me a dirty harlot and then grounded me for the entire summer." I said. Natsu raised his eyebrows at me. "Yeah." I sighed, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"Hey, let me tell you something," Natsu said "you made the right decision when you jumped aboard the Natsu Express." He grinned.

"The Natsu Express?" I laughed. "Is that what you call it?"

"Cool, right?" Natsu winked before it was our turn to order.

"Welcome to Mc Murphy's, can I take your order?" A young girl asked us miserably.

"You certainly can," Natsu leant a little closer to read the girls name tag, "Kasey." The girl blushed a little as her name fell out of Natsu's mouth. I guess he had this effect on any girl whose name he said. "Could we please order three cokes, a ham burger and wedges, chicken nuggets and fries, a cheese burger with fries and," Natsu turned to me then "Luce, what you having?" My heart stopped momentarily. I'd never once been called "Luce" in my entire life and yet coming for him it couldn't have sounded more right. "Luce?" He asked again as I stood there like a lemon.

"Oh, um. Curly fries and a chocolate shake please." I said.

"Just curly fries?" Natsu asked.

"Trust me, there enough on their own." I said.

"Okay then. How does that sound?" Natsu asked Kasey with a beaming smile.

"All great choices." She said, processing it through the till. I pulled a note out of my pocket and offered it to Natsu to pay for my meal. A few minutes later Kasey was handing us a large take away bag and a paper tray of drinks to carry back to the camper van. "Thank you. Have a good night." Natsu winked at Kasey as he grabbed the bag and handed me the tray of drinks. "You too." Kasey smiled. Natsu's charm had obviously cracked her icy exterior. It was strange. Usually I was the one behind the till, watching him leaving and desperately wanting to go with him- wherever he was going. But not this time. This time I was leaving with him and I couldn't help but smile about it.

"You certainly have a way with the ladies." I said as Natsu propped the door open for me with his shoulder.

"It's a gift." He grinned.

"It certainly is." I agreed as we headed back out in to the parking lot. Erza and Gray were sitting on the bonnet of the camper van, laughing about something. "Grub's up, guys." Natsu said, raising our take out bag in the air. "Not yet." Erza said.

"Huh?" Natsu asked as we reached them.

"We're going to eat at the beach." Erza said.

"The next beach is a twenty minute drive." Natsu said.

"So?" Erza said dryly.

"So, let's go to the beach." Natsu forced an exaggerated grin before chucking the food bag at Gray, who caught it with ease. We got back in the van and hit the road again.

"I thought there'd be more people here." I said as the four of us traipsed across the sand. In total I'd say there were about five other people scattered across the beach. It was around eight O'clock and the blue sky was beginning to darken. "Here's good." Erza said. The beach was huge so we were far enough away from the pier but also far away enough from the water. Erza laid a picnic blanket on the sand and gestured for us all to sit. I was beginning to see that Erza was pretty much the boss of this trip, which was fine by me. Natsu dished out the food and I dished out the drinks. Silence fell as we all hungrily dug in to our meals. It was all great, the food, the scenery, the company.

"Can I have a nugget?" Natsu asked Gray.

"No." Gray said.

"Come on, Gray. Don't be greedy." Natsu reached for Gray's food but Gray slapped his hand away.

"You're the greedy one. You've finished your meal and now you want mine." Gray said, making a good point.

"But, you're not eating them." Natsu groaned.

"I'm saving them for later."

"Okay." Natsu shrugged. Erza shot me a look as if to say "get ready" and I wondered what was going to happen next. Gray picked up his coke and took a long sip when Natsu suddenly leaned forwards and grabbed a chicken nugget from Gray's food box.

"Natsu!" Gray yelled but it was too late. Natsu had already devoured it.

Natsu shot Gray a grin and before anyone knew what was happening, Gray had lunged forwards and was tackling Natsu to the ground. I shielded my eyes from the cloud of sand the boys were creating as the rolled around. "All this over a chicken nugget?" I asked

"Yep, be prepared for a lot of this." Erza said. Now that we were alone, I wanted to find out how she knew the boys, especially Natsu.

"You never told me you knew Natsu." I said.

"Didn't I?" She asked casually. I shook my head as I finished off my last curly fry. "I just saw how much you liked him, I didn't want to tell you how close he and I are." She said.

"I'm so embarrassed." I said, trying to hide my blush with my hands.

"Lucy, why would you be embarrassed?" Erza asked with a smile.

"You've probably been thinking I'm an idiot this whole time." I said.

"Of course not!" Erza said, pulling my hands away from my cheeks. "I don't blame you for liking him the way you do."

"Do you like him? Like that, I mean." I asked, dreading the answer. Erza burst in to laughter suddenly. "Um, Erza?" I asked after a minute of her breathlessly laughing to herself.

"Sorry, Lucy." Erza said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "No, I don't like _either_ of them like that. We grew up together, they're more like my brothers than anything else."

"Oh, I see." I felt a little relieved but also a little jealous at the clear bond she had with both of them. I was beginning to feel like an outsider on this trip.

Erza and I noticed then that the boys were wrestling awfully close to the water's edge. "I'll break them up." Erza said as she stood from the blanket and marched towards Natsu and Gray. I took a long sip of my milkshake and watched on as she attempted to separate the two of them. But after a failed attempted of pulling them apart, Erza ended up joining the fight. I felt like a parent watching her children from a distance. Before long the three of them tumbled in to the water, causing a large splash. Natsu simply laughed and began diving under the water while Erza and Gray rushed back to the sand. They made their way over to the picnic blanket, dripping from head to toe. "Couldn't break them up, huh?" I laughed as Erza and Gray stood at my feet.

"We're heading back to the van to dry off. Can you make sure you bring Natsu with you when you come?" Erza said, before retreating back up the beach with Gray. I gathered our rubbish, chucked it in the nearest bin and then headed back to the blanket to fold it up all whilst Natsu played in the water. Tucking the blanket under my arm, I headed to the water's edge to call Natsu back. But first I kicked of my shoes and let the water tickle my toes. "Natsu, it's time to go." I called out.

"Already?" Natsu asked as he emerged from the water. His clothes were soaked and were clinging to his skin. I could see every muscle glistening in the fading sunlight. I breathed deeply and tried to keep my eyes above the shoulders. "Yeah, the others are drying off at the van." I said.

"Mmm." Natsu hummed to himself thoughtfully.

"What?" I asked as Natsu stood in front of me, staring me up and down.

"Well. It's just it's not fair, is it?" Natsu asked me.

"What's not fair?"

"We're all soaking wet and your stood there dry as a bone." Natsu said, stroking his chin. I definitely didn't like where he was going with this.

"Oh no," I said taking a step back, "you're not getting me in there." But for every step back I took, Natsu took two forwards. He was inching closer, reaching out his arms with an increasingly evil grin growing across his face. "I said no!" I yelled and quickly turned on my heels, making a break for the van. But I wasn't anywhere near as fast as Natsu was. His arms were around my waist in a second and he was hauling me in to the air. I flailed around as best I could, hoping he'd drop me, but his grip was locked tight.

"Get ready!" Natsu yelled. I gave in. There was no way out of this situation. I chucked the picnic blanket to one side, sparing it the salty fate I was doomed for. We were suddenly falling backwards and I knew I'd be beneath the water in a matter of seconds. There was a huge splash followed by a wave of icy water washing over every inch of my body. Natsu's arms were no longer holding me and I was returning to the surface, spluttering and coughing as I went. I took a deep breath in as I broke through the water. "I hate you." I laughed as Natsu's head appeared beside me. He was grinning from ear to ear.

"What? Now we're all even." He said.

"You guys only got wet because you were fighting." I splashed him a little.

"You didn't want to be the odd one out did you?" He asked with a wink. No, I didn't. I wanted anything but to be the odd one out. I shook my head no and began wading through the water and back towards the beach. I could hear that Natsu was close behind me.

"This is your hoody, you know?" I shrugged out of his hoody and slung it over my arm, it was pretty much ruined now.

"I know." He smiled. "There's more where that one came from." But I didn't want any more of his hoodies. I just wanted this one. The one he had given me the first night we spent together, the one I slept in when I was sad. It meant something to me.

We made it back to Erza and Gray who were patting themselves down with their own beach towels- that was something I hadn't thought to bring myself. "Lucy, what happened?" Erza asked me, noticing that I was now more drenched than she was. "Natsu happened." I said.

"Of course." Erza nodded.

"So, what now?" Natsu asked.

"Well, thanks to you we have to head to a motel." Gray said.

"Why do we?" Natsu asked him.

"We're covered in sand and salt water, Natsu. I need a shower and a warm bed." Said Erza.

"A motel sounds kind of good right now." I shivered, wondering if I even had a vote.

"There you go, three against one." Gray said.

"Fine. I'll drive." Natsu said.

* * *

Natsu pulled in to the motel parking lot. We all had to sit on towels the whole drive so we didn't ruin the seats, but I didn't have one so I was sat on the picnic blanket. It had been about an hour to the motel, which was a lot longer than I'd been expecting it to be. I had my window down and was holding Natsu's hoody out of it in an attempt to dry it. Natsu looked over. "You don't have to do that. I don't mind if it's ruined." He said.

"It's not ruined." I said. "Salt water actually makes thing softer, so if anything it's better now than it was before."

"Is that so?" Natsu smiled as he killed the engine. The four of us climbed out of the van. It was a lonesome motel, stood by itself along the highway. The parking lot was somewhat full though so we assumed it was a pretty popular place. _Marties Motel_ it was called. There was a bright blue, neon sign flashing from the roof of the building and every door had big, pink room numbers printed on them. There were two glass doors wide open, which we guessed were the way to the reception. So that's where we headed. The floors were a sandy coloured wood and the walls were covered in an abstract, blue wall paper. Pop music was playing from a duke box in the corner, setting a rather fun vibe. "This place is pretty cool." I said as we approached the tall front desk.

"Pretty cool?" A male voice came from behind the desk.

"Um." I looked at the others and wondered what to say next. A middle aged man, dressed in denim jeans and a pink shirt, popped up from behind the desk and rested his elbows on the counter top.

"I think you'll find this place much cooler than just pretty." The man said, staring right at me and I felt my cheeks burn a little.

"That doesn't make any sense." Erza said. She was right, it didn't, but I wouldn't have said that to him myself.

"It will." The man grinned. He would have been creepy, but for some reason he just fit the place.

"So, anyway. Can we get two rooms for the night?" Gray interjected.

"Of course, of course! Doubles? Singles?" The man asked, examining us all as if trying to figure out what our relations to each other were.

"Singles." The four of us said in perfect unison.

"Ah," the man nodded, "I see." He pulled open a drawer from the desk, pulled out two keys and placed them on the desk top. He took our names and details and requested that we return at no later than eleven AM the next day to pay. "Enjoy your stay!" The man called out as we exited the reception.

"Well, that was interesting." Gray said, looking back in the direction of the odd man behind the desk.

"I liked him." Natsu said.

"Me too. He had character." I agreed.

"If you say so." Gray shrugged.

"What are our room numbers?" I asked Natsu who had the keys in his hand.

"You guys are in room 23 and Gray and I are in room 27." Natsu handed me the key and we headed up stairs. We each found our respective rooms, said goodnight and headed inside. The room was certainly interesting, to the say the least. The carpet was white and the walls were hot pink and there were hearts everywhere; printed on the drapes, stickered on the walls, even the lampshade was a giant red heart. But the oddest this was the bed. It wasn't a single and it wasn't a regular mattress either.

"Uh, Lucy." Erza said as she sat on the bed.

"Yeah?"

"This is a water bed." Erza said, bobbing up and down.

"Are you serious?" I ran over to the bed and lifted the covers.

"The receptionist probably thought he was playing match maker." Erza said. I began to laugh. "What?" Erza asked.

"Imagine if the boy's room is like this too." I said, laughing even more. Erza's eyes widened and she began to chuckle. And, as if on cue, there was a sudden thumping on our door. I opened it to find an angry looking Gray and Natsu stood outside.

"We need to switch rooms." Natsu said with his arms folded across his chest.

"By all means." I grinned and stepped aside to welcome them in to our room.

"Ah, man! Their room is like it too." Natsu moaned, turning to Gray.

"We'll just ask the guy down stairs to give us a new room." Gray said and the two of them headed down stairs. After a short while the boys reported back to us and told us that the man at reception had refused to switch their rooms, claiming all the others were taken.

"You're sleeping in the van." Gray said to Natsu.

"That's fine by me. I didn't want to come to a motel any way." Natsu said in a huff as he headed back down the stairs and in to the parking lot.

"Gray." Erza said in a disapproving tone.

"What? I can't share a bed with him." He said.

"Fine. We'll see you in the morning." Erza said, practically shutting the door in Gray's face.

I couldn't sleep a wink. I don't know if was because of the creepy water bed or if it was because of the guilt that was building inside me about running away from home. It was the first time since we'd left my house that I'd actually had a chance to reflect on what I had done and what the consequences may be. I couldn't lay there any longer. Erza was snoring away so I was careful not to wake her as I slid my feet in to my shoes and exited the room. The night was colder than I was expecting it to be so I decided to grab my cardigan from inside the room, but the door had locked behind me. "Oh no." I breathed as I shook the door handle. "Erza, I locked myself out." I called through the door, but her snoring only grew louder. "Great." I sighed. With no way of getting back in to the room, I began wondering down the stairs. The only source of light was the flashing neon sign on the roof of the building and the darkness made me feel a little uneasy. I took a seat on the bottom step and hoped that no one else was around. My phone had been sat in my pocket since we got to the motel but up until now I had been too scared to check it, knowing I'd have plenty of angry voice mails from my father. But to my surprise when I unlocked my phone screen I only had one voice mail. I decided to be brave and listen to it.

"Lucy, it's your father. Gwendolyn told me you have gone to stay at a friend's house for the night. Perhaps I was a little too hard on you earlier. I'm sorry that I pushed you this far." He paused then, sighing heavily. "I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow so that we can have a real chat and fix things between us. I love you, Lucy. I really do." End of message. My hand fell from my ear. This was not the message I had been expecting. I thought he would be yelling and demanding that I come home immediately. But instead he was understanding, something my father rarely was, and he even wanted to fix things between us. I suddenly felt like I'd made the wrong decision. Leaving my father for the night was one thing, but leaving him for the entire summer was something else altogether. Would he ever forgive me? If I didn't return tomorrow, would I be ruining my relationship with my father for good? I began to cry.

"Lucy, that you?" A familiar voice came through the darkness. It made me jump and I began frantically looking around me, but I couldn't see any one.

"Who's there?" I whispered.

"It's me." Natsu emerged from the dark and stood looking down at me.

"Oh." I wiped my eyes and took a deep breath.

"I couldn't sleep so I decided to do a few laps of the parking lot." He said, stretching his arms above his head.

"Oh." I said again. Natsu crouched at my feet then and rested his arms across my knees, which I hadn't been expecting. The sudden contact surprised me, but his touch was comforting so I didn't move.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"No." I shook my head.

"Then why are you crying?" He reached out a hand and gently poked my cheek.

"I think I need to go home." I said.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Uh oh, is the trip over before it's even begun? I hope you guys are enjoying this so far! Don't forget to R+R :)**


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